Soooo…….
I’m not a food blogger, maybe not even a “foodie” but I do LOVE food. Lol!!! Anyhoo, I happen to be lactose AND gluten intolerant but I’ve learned to embrace it and work with what I can eat without feeling like c rap. Recently, my church began a 21 day fast, the Daniel fast. This basically means that, along with prayer and the word, I’m literally a vegan for the next few weeks. Now…when I first saw the list of foods that I couldn’t eat I thought, “Fa real Jesus????? You just gonna let me starve like that???” Now, don’t misunderstand me, fasting is NECESSARY! Some things won’t get better unless we allow our flesh to be subjected to God by not eating and/or doing certain things (because fasting doesn’t always mean food). Matthew 17:21 says, “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” That’s what Jesus said after the disciples couldn’t cast out a demon and they wanted to know w
hy (read Matthew 17:4-21). I don’t know about you, but I need to be able to cast demons out! Oh…but back to why I was worried about starving on this fast. Like I said before, I am lactose and gluten intolerant, and I can’t eat beef or pork (they make me sick), so I sometimes feel limited in what I can eat on a day to day basis. So, you see, this fast took away the eggs and some other things that I would eat regularly.
I had to make myself take a new perspective on food, on life, on why I was fasting. I want……NO……I NEED too much from God to be fussing about a dozen eggs and some salad dressing. So, I decided that I was NOT going to complain but that I would ask Him to help me so that I could go forth. I have an Instagram page, dedicated to glutenless living (feel free to follow @gottabe_glutenfree), where I post most things that I eat (both recipes and store bought foods); so, I posted a few vegan recipes that I’ve made over the past week or so. One of my lovely diva friends suggested that I share a few (follow her blog seasons565.wordpress.com). I decided that it was a good idea, not because I want to share my cooking skills, but more so, because sometimes, we put so much emphasis on food and what we aren’t willing to give up, that we can’t focus past it. I can’t even count the number of people that find out what I CANNOT eat and give me the run down of how it “couldn’t be them”. In fact, I used to be that way, but I’ve learned to give up certain foods because my health is more important to me than a few strips of bacon and a pork chop.
Uh huh…so….yeah….sometimes you gotta push the plate away. It’s like Jesus told the devil when he tried tempting Him, “And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” (Luke 4:4). Again, fasting is NECESSARY! Often, it’s our sacrifice that gets God’s attention. “So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was entreated of us.” Ezra 8:23 And if we allow ourselves to see the natural side of fasting (health aspects) sometimes, we will see that we’ve g
ained even more. I cook, but I also know how to throw together a quick meal (if you could call it an actual meal), and keep going. Well, I’ve gotten where I have gotten back to cooking just about everyday, after I’d gotten out of the habit. I haven’t been able to eat my favorite “not so healthy” snacks like Cheetos and Reese’s Cups (I miss them. **sigh**). Lol. And I have been eating oatmeal and fruit for breakfast instead of a breakfast bar and coffee. And, if you catch me and you need a snack, there’s an apple, peanuts, and raisins in my purse instead of jelly beans, fruit snacks, and chocolate Kind bars. Oh…and no Strawberry Acai Refreshers or lattes from Starbucks either. Pray for me though y’all, I’ve been missing my coffee in the a.m. No coffee + Kindergartners = Extra prayers NEEDED!
I don’t know………..maybe you’re fasting from certain foods; maybe you need to eat healthier; maybe you’re just trying to see what the heck I’m talking about this time (HA!). Whatever the reason, here are a few dairy free, gluten free, vegan recipes for the road. Enjoy! 🙂
Love y’all!
Ms. A.M.White
P.S…This post was a little more lengthy that I’d originally planned so, see the next post for recipes. 😉